Culture bound syndromes are manifested psychiatrically and somatically.  Typically, these are widely known and understood by members of the culture while other cultures often misunderstand them.  The manifestations of and treatment for psychiatric culture bound syndromes are culturally and socially driven.  This requires health care providers to understand the language, idioms, imagery, and expression of mental illness symptomatology through the correct ethnographic lens.  Nurses have direct contact with patients in multiple, diverse settings and are ethically obligated to understand the meaning of culture bound syndromes to provide optimal care.  Only then can treatment be planned, and interventions crafted that are acceptable to the client, the family, and the community and in some cases by spiritual leaders in the community.

 

This project reviews the expression of mental illness and co-occurring disorders through specific social and cultural lenses and examines some of the knowledge deficits that must be addressed when working with diverse populations.